Andrew Griffiths: The amazingly prolific composer and producer

Peter Timmis reports on the Welshman with over 100 albums to his name ANDREW GRIFFITHS

Andrew Griffiths

Andrew Griffiths is
one of the most prolific figures in the UK music scene but chances are
you won't have heard of this mild mannered Welshman. Over the past 12
years the composer, producer and musician has worked on more than 100
albums, various projects for film, television and theatre as well as
somehow finding the time to lead worship at Swansea Valley Bible
Church. Cross Rhythms recently spoke to Andrew as he was working on a
multimedia project for the Olympic Games. "The project is called
Following The Flame," he explained. "It's an exhibition that has been
commissioned by the National Assembly For Wales and is to celebrate
Wales' achievements (as part of team GB) in the Olympics over the last
100 years or so. The exhibition will launch in June and will tour for
three years."

Andrew first started playing music when, as a child, he was diagnosed
with asthma. "The doctor suggested that it would be beneficial if I
took up a brass instrument, so I began playing the trumpet. I wasn't
brilliant at it, but kept trying, until the Lord stepped in when I was
about 13 or 14 and spoke into my life. His word to me was to 'strive
for excellence', so I did. From that moment I could see a marked
difference in the way I understood music. I gave myself to practise
and learning and found that I could learn other instruments very
quickly. I set my heart to worship the Lord in every part of my
playing, I would even worship the Lord with scales."

He continued, "I was brought up in a Christian home, so I had a
knowledge of the Lord from the beginning. But it was when I was 12
that I started to realise I could no longer rely on my parents'
experience of God. So on September 15th 1984, in a youth service, I
gave my heart to the Lord. The great thing is that my two older
brothers got saved that night too. There was 'much rejoicing' in the
Griffiths' house when we got home. So, there were no flashing lights,
no dramatic story, but a story of God's grace, that I have been spared
a lot of hurt and trouble that so many others have to go through
before they find the Lord."

In 1991, before leaving home to study music at Cardiff University,
Andrew and his brothers Paul and Marc released the jazz influenced
album 'Inhabit Our Praise' under the name The Griffiths Brothers. "I
was still in school and did most of the production in my bedroom on an
Atari ST. We then hired a studio to add all the live elements such as
vocals and brass. I think Cross Rhythms gave the record quite a nice
review too."

How did Andrew's career as a session musician and film and television
score composer begin? He responded, "For years I would go around
different churches and conferences with my brothers. I would play
piano for them to sing or we would play as part of the worship team. I
would play trumpet and sax, Paul would play trombone and Marc would
play trumpet (some called us The Brass Monkeys). A good friend of
mine, Mal Pope, heard about us and called us about doing a session on
an album he was working on. We worked so closely as a family, some
used to say we were MIDI-linked together. From then we did more and
more work in other studios and TV shows around the country. This went
on for a number of years, until Paul and Marc got 'proper jobs'. Not
long after I graduated Mal and his business partner Peter King gave me
a set of keys to their studio and said 'learn how to use it,' and
that's how I learned how to be a recording engineer."

He continued, "My first commission as a composer was for the National
Museum of Wales in Cardiff. Someone contacted Mal about writing six
pieces depicting different aspects of the life of the singer Paul
Robeson. He said that he couldn't do it but recommended me for the
job. The music was a great success and I still write for the company.
My first film score came about through a series of God-instances. I'd
been trying for years to get my foot in the door and found that it was
a very closed community in Wales, but had peace that in God's time I'd
have the opportunity. One day I was doing a brass session at a
friend's studio for a singer/songwriter by the name of Billy Engel.
During the session Billy asked if I would have a go at setting 1
Corinthians 13 to music. I went home that night and within an hour it
was done. Billy had worked as a TV producer and put me in touch with
some friends of his in the USA who needed music for a film they were
working on. The film was 2005's Between The Walls by the Staron
brothers."

Griffiths was also asked to work on the Staron brothers' second film,
2009's humourous Bringing Up Bobby. "We weren't going to blow the
whole budget flying me over to the States so they emailed a cut of the
film with a cue sheet of where they felt the music belonged. The
studio here at home is connected to the house so I would sometimes
work late at night when there would be no interruptions and could be
in sync with working hours in the USA. Most of the sounds would be
recorded live such as the brass, woodwind, guitars and percussion, I
even got away with playing a real cello on that soundtrack. I've never
met Chris and Nick Staron. It's amazing how the internet has enabled
me to work with people from all over the world."

Andrew has been worship leader at Swansea Valley Bible Church for 20
years. How does this role differ from his day job? "I've learned a lot
over that time. For years I wanted to take everything I used in the
professional world and implement it in the worship environment, but
I've learned that all the Lord wants is a worshiping heart. There are
some things that cross over, but not everything should. One important
moment for me was when I was playing in the worship team for a large
conference. The band was great and musically it was like doing a
professional job but one evening after the main service I came to the
realisation that I hadn't thought about the Lord once all night. I was
so concerned with playing well that I'd lost all focus. Now more than
ever, I want to make sure I don't get caught up in the music, but get
caught up with the Lord. When I lead, I want to worship the Lord
myself, I then invite the congregation to come along for the journey."

In 2004 The Griffiths Brothers recorded another album, 2004's 'Better
Than Life', but it looks set to be their last as Marc has now
relocated to Australia. In 2009 Andrew released his first solo album
'Big Bangs & Monkeys'. Does he plan to record any more solo
projects? "I'm so busy working on other people's songs, it's only when
I'm quiet that I get time to write and record my own stuff. There are
some new songs in the pipeline, but I never force songs to exist.
Sometimes I have to wait for the Lord to do something in me before I
can finish a song."

Andrew explained where he finds inspiration for his songwriting, "An
idea can come from anywhere. Something someone says, a situation or a
musical phrase I hear. I'll sometimes get an idea and that idea will
'cook' for a year before it becomes a song. That was the case with the
song 'Three Days'. I had the idea over a year before I even started
writing anything. Then as soon as I started writing it, it was done in
two days. I record every idea I have either on the computer or on my
phone and keep them as a sort of sketchbook. I think there are about
40 song ideas on the go at the moment. Some are musically complete
with full melody and production with maybe the hook written. I've
learned to leave them until the Lord tells me to take them up. When
the time is right, a song can be finished in an hour."

Griffiths currently plays approximately 30 instruments. "I'm always
looking for new sounds or if a job comes up that requires something
different I have to decide if I can learn it in time. I play most of
the instruments myself except drums - having a great drummer helps
solidify the groove and locks everything else together. I play mostly
the piano or guitar these days, or if it's a brass session, I'll play
trumpet, sax, trombone and French horn. I've done some weird sessions
though, a few years ago I was on a TV ad for an insurance company,
dressed as a duck playing a penny whistle! I love to experiment with
sounds and instruments, I'm on the hunt for a hammer dulcimer at the
moment."

2008 was a particularly prolific year for Andrew as he somehow managed
to produce more than one album a month. How did he do this? "It was
quite a busy time. I would have a client in during the day, we'd work
from 10 till about five. Someone else would arrive from about six and
we'd work till about nine or 10. And then after everyone had gone to
bed I'd work on another project till about two or three."

Of the huge amount of projects that Griffiths has worked on, which
really stand out? "There are so many albums, some I don't even
remember doing. I love doing work for Teen Challenge UK. I've produced
every album The Evidence have done since about 1992 or '93 and the
albums for the Hope House Girls. I also produced the 'Forever Jesus'
series of CDs from 1999 to 2002. Between 2004 and 2006, I produced
seven albums working with school children, based on the life of the
footballer John Charles. The project was called The Gentle Giant. I
had written the soundtrack for the main exhibition and was then asked
to work with different schools across Wales to write and record songs
in response to what they had seen and learned after visiting the
exhibition."

He continued, "There have been one or two secular albums which have
been fun to produce as I can afford to be a little more experimental
in the production and they also give great opportunity to share about
the Lord when we're stuck in the studio for days. Every so often a
session will come along for one or two famous(ish) people. I did some
brass work for X-Factor star Rhydian Roberts and I also produced for
Merrill Osmond. If I'm approached about producing something in a style
I don't normally work in, I tend to do a little research first before
starting. The easiest style for me would probably be big and
orchestral. I don't have to think too much when doing that sort of
thing. I also like things to be funky whenever they can be."

It comes as a surprise that a producer with so much work to his name
isn't better known. Does Andrew purposefully keep a low profile? "I
suppose I do really. I've never had an interest in being famous. All I
want to do is be at the centre of God's will and do what I love doing.
I've also seen the harm that pride can do in any musician's life. I
want to make sure that when it comes to my life, especially as a
worshiper, that all the focus is on the Lord. I have learned that he
isn't impressed by cool playing or flash arrangements, what he wants
is for me to run after him with all my heart and give him my best. The
nice arrangements sometimes come as a part of that, but that isn't the
goal. To meet with the Lord is my only goal."

The opinions expressed in this article are
not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed
views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may
not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a
later date.

About Peter Timmis

Peter Timmis is a regular contributer to Cross Rhythms and lives in Stoke-on-Trent.

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